11 Seconds Magazine

Founded in 2023 at Harvard Medical School by Sahana Narayan, an award-winning journalist, public health scholar, and aspiring physician, the 11 Seconds Magazine believes in listening to stories that are not always heard. As a medical literary magazine focused on ‘women's health’ and wellness, and all of the many dimensions underlying it, we want to capture the experiences of new and old thinkers, writers, and artists. WHY 11 Seconds? “Our study found that physicians interrupted patients after a median of only 11 seconds.” — Phillips et al, 2019, Journal of General Internal Medicine The 11 Seconds Magazine is not in the business of placing blame where it is not due; it takes two to tango. As such, we hope to start the conversation around, well, the fact that we aren't having one at all. If 11 Seconds represents not just how patients feel when they aren’t being listened to, but also, how doctors are not given enough time with patients, how quickly can we spark change in response to it? With time as a commodity in the medical system, if we embark on this journey together, we must ask ourselves this: what can we do with 11 seconds? Now, we don't mean to sound absurd, as 11 seconds is hardly any time to do anything. Nonetheless, the question still stands. To us, 11 seconds = the opportunity to change. The time is now. Whether you’re a patient, a provider, or somewhere in the nebulous in-between, 11 Seconds Magazine wants to hear from you. What makes your heart sing or your blood boil? The entirety of the medical encounter, from start to end, is brimming with stories. It is stories, after all, that birth and rebirth medicine. We are nothing without them. Help us tell yours.